In station wagons, minibuses or vans, the second seat row is frequently designed in a manner such that it can be folded. As a result, a simple enlargement of the luggage compartment is possible without removal of the seat row. For example, a seat arrangement of this type is shown in the publication US 2002/0027383 A1. In general, when the seat row is folded, the backrest is laid over the seat surface and the entire seat is subsequently positioned forward in the front region of the seat base via a pivot axis. However, when folding in said manner, a step is produced in the expanded luggage compartment, as a result of which the portion of the luggage compartment floor which is usable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is considerably shortened. In addition, the seats of the first seat row have to be protected against luggage being hurled around by an additional luggage compartment partition.
DE 10 2005 002 916 A1 discloses a seat arrangement in which the vehicle seat is held in a manner such that it can be displaced via the floor support thereof along the vehicle floor such that it can be retained in any position. The seat can be displaced from a use position into a storage position in which the backrest and the seat surface form a common vertical plane. The design of a vertical vehicle compartment separating means of this type requires little space in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, but a free view to the rear through the rear window is no longer possible.
Furthermore, seat arrangements which can be displaced forward are known, in which the backrest is folded forward in order to facilitate entry to a rear seat row. In very confined space conditions, a forward movement of the seat arrangement along the floor rails is additionally also provided. Seat arrangements of this type are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,800 B2 and WO 2006/017933.